Etymograph

English

gigantic

Gigantic comes from Ancient Greek γίγας ‘giant’.

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEγίγας1gígas‘giant’
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEγιγαντικός1gigantikós
  3. Englishearliest quotation 1612gigantic1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English gigantic
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1612, Michael Drayton, Poly-Olbion: “Thou Genius of the place (this most renowned Ile)…”.

Lineage

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEγίγαςWiktionary, English giganticgígas‘giant’
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEγιγαντικόςWiktionary, English giganticgigantikós
  3. Englishearliest quotation 1612giganticWiktionary, English gigantic. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1612, Michael Drayton, Poly-Olbion: “Thou Genius of the place (this most renowned Ile)…”

The story

According to the Poly-Olbion project coined by Michael Drayton in 1612.

Full etymology on Wiktionary

Linked words

through Ancient Greek γίγας ‘giant’

giant, 4 more

Today it means

adj Very large.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “gigantic”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Ancient Greek γίγας / gigantic

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